U.S. patent number 5,896,899 [Application Number 08/592,365] was granted by the patent office on 1999-04-27 for method and an apparatus for sterile bottling of beverages.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Krones AG Hermann Kronseder Maschinenfabrik. Invention is credited to Gert Anton Schmitz.
United States Patent |
5,896,899 |
Schmitz |
April 27, 1999 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Method and an apparatus for sterile bottling of beverages
Abstract
When carrying out a method for sterile bottling of beverages,
which comprises the steps of cleaning the bottles first in a
cleaning station by means of lye, transporting them then to a
separate filling station, filling them in said filling station with
the previously sterilized beverage, and closing them finally in a
closing station, the sterilization of the interior of the bottles
by introducing steam and/or hot water is carried out several times
successively in spatially separated stations. This fractional
sterilization of the bottles achieves a very high germ destruction
rate, the amount of energy consumed being low and the bottles being
treated carefully. In addition, measures against a reinfection of
the bottles in the area of transport between the stations can be
dispensed with so that a good accessibility of the transport area
is guaranteed.
Inventors: |
Schmitz; Gert Anton
(Aitherhofen, DE) |
Assignee: |
Krones AG Hermann Kronseder
Maschinenfabrik (Neutraubling, DE)
|
Family
ID: |
6494707 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/592,365 |
Filed: |
April 15, 1996 |
PCT
Filed: |
July 29, 1994 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/EP94/02522 |
371
Date: |
April 15, 1996 |
102(e)
Date: |
April 15, 1996 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO95/04699 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
February 16, 1995 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Aug 7, 1993 [DE] |
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43 26 601 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
141/92; 134/72;
141/11; 141/94; 141/91; 141/85; 134/73; 141/168; 141/89;
141/171 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B67C
7/0073 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B67C
7/00 (20060101); B65B 001/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;141/11,85,89,91,92,94,165,168,171,172 ;134/68,72-74
;53/426,431 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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381841 |
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Aug 1990 |
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EP |
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0 447 759 A1 |
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Sep 1991 |
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EP |
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748104 |
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Jun 1933 |
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FR |
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1405493 |
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May 1965 |
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FR |
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733623 |
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Mar 1943 |
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DE |
|
Primary Examiner: Walczak; David J.
Assistant Examiner: Maust; Timothy L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Tilton, Fallon, Lungmus &
Chestnut
Claims
I claim:
1. An apparatus for sterile bottling of beverages comprising a
cleaning machine, a filling machine and a third machine operatively
associated with said cleaning machine and said filling machine for
performing a supplemental function on the bottle, all said machines
being interconnected via bottle conveyors, wherein said cleaning
machine and at least one additional said machine (1, 2) are
provided with means (8, 10) for introducing steam and/or
superheated water into the interior of the bottle, said means for
introducing steam and/or superheated water (8, 9, 10) includes at
least one nozzle connected to a steam and/or hot-water line (11,
12, 13), and wherein said nozzle (9, 10) is adapted to be inserted
into said interior of said bottle.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said nozzle (8, 9, 10)
is adapted to be moved along with said bottle.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the nozzle (10) is
defined by a filling tube of a filling member (17) of said filling
machine (1).
4. An apparatus to claim 1, wherein said nozzle (8) is defined by
at least one spray tube of said cleaning machine (1), and said
spray tube is supported in said cleaning machine (1) such that said
spray tube is adapted to be rotated or to be displaced along a
straight line.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cleaning machine
(1) has formed therein a pressurized clamber (18) provided with a
siphon-type inlet gate (19) and a siphon-type outlet gate (20) for
said bottles, and that said means (8) for introducing steam and/or
superheated water is arranged in said pressure chamber (18).
6. An apparatus according to claim 5, and wherein said cleaning
machine comprises a plurality of lye baths and means (29) for
discharging bottles to a bottle conveyor (5), and wherein said
pressure chamber (18) is arranged between the last of said lye
baths (21) and said bottle discharge means (29).
7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein an empty-bottle
inspection machine is inserted between said cleaning machine (1)
and said filling machine (2) or said third machine and wherein
centering bells of said empty-bottle inspection machine, which are
applied to the orifices of said bottles, are adapted to be
sterilized.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said centering bells
are adapted to be heated.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, subsequent to said
cleaning machine (1), a bottle conveyor (5) is designed for
multi-row transport of said bottles and is substantially freely
accessible from above and/or from the side.
10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said bottle conveyor
is multi-path and includes hinge band chains which are lubricated
with a heated lubricant.
11. A method for sterile bottling of beverages, comprising the
steps of cleaning the bottles first in a cleaning station by means
of lye, transporting them then to a separate filling station,
filling them in said filling station with the previously sterilized
beverage, and closing them finally in a closing station, the
improvement comprising the additional step of sterilizing the
interior of the cleaned, empty bottles by introducing steam and/or
superheated water carried out several times successively in
spatially separated stations, wherein one of said stations is the
cleaning station, and transporting said bottles at an upright
position and with open orifices between the stations where said
interior of said bottles is sterilized.
12. A method according to claim 11, and, between the temporally
separated sterilizations of the interior of the bottles,
transporting said bottles without said bottles being covered,
aerated, irradiated and without any other measures of this kind,
which counteract germ formation, being taken.
13. A method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein one of said
sterilizations of said interior of said bottles is carried out in
said filling station.
14. A method according to claim 11 or 12 wherein at least one of
said sterilizations of said interior of said bottles is carried out
in a separate sterilization station arranged between said cleaning
station and said filling station.
15. A method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein at least one of
said sterilizations of said interior of said bottles is carried out
in a room under a pressure above atmospheric pressure.
Description
The present invention relates to a method for sterile bottling of
beverages according to the generic clause of claim 1 as well as to
an apparatus for carrying out said method according to the generic
clause of claim 13.
DE-pat. 733 623 already discloses the measure of sterilizing,
subsequent to the treatment with warm lye/liquor, the bottles
within the washing machine by spraying into said bottles a liquid
having a temperature of from 85.degree. to more than 100.degree.
Celsius or steam by means of several spray nozzles, which are
arranged one behind the other and which are located outside of the
bottle orifice. Subsequently, the bottles are cooled down in
several steps by sterilized water or sterilized air and, finally,
they are discharged onto a conveyor belt. By means of this conveyor
belt, the bottles are transported to a filling machine and then to
a closing machine, tunnel like covers being used for the purpose of
keeping the bottles sterile. However, it turned out that a
completely sterile transport cannot be achieved so that it will
happen again and again that bottles with germs originating from the
ambient air are introduced in the filling machine. In addition, the
covers prevent rapid access in the case of disturbances on the
conveyor belt, and, consequently, they cannot be accepted in modern
high-efficiency bottling plants including between the separate
machines the conventional multi-path transport means, bottle
uniting means and bottle distributing means.
A similar situation exists in the case of the method according to
DE-pat. 24 37 588, where the sterilization in the washing machine
is effected by spraying hot water having a temperature of from 85
to 95.degree. Celsius onto the inner and outer sides of the
bottles. Following this, the bottles are discharged from the
washing machine immediately and, maintaining a temperature of from
65 to 70.degree. Celsius, they are transported to the filling
machine; in the course of this transport a laminar aeration system
is supposed to provide a sterile shield against the surroundings.
In spite of these complicated measures taken in the area of bottle
transport and in spite of the additional heating, a formation of
germs in the cleaned bottles cannot be prevented completely in this
case either, and access to the conveyor system is barred to a large
extent. Hence, this kind of sterile bottling of beverages could not
gain acceptance in practice; it is not suitable for use in a modern
high-efficiency plant.
Furthermore, German-Offenlegungsschrift 40 36 290 discloses that
the bottles, which have been cleaned in the washing machine by
means of lye and transported--without being shielded--to the
filling machine, are sterilized, directly before the beverage flows
in, by introducing steam via the reflux gas tubes of the filling
members projecting into the bottles. The germs, which penetrated
into the bottles already in the washing machine due to fresh-water
spraying as well as in the unprotected and, consequently, easily
accessible transport area and which are detrimental to the
beverage, can be destroyed in this way to a large extent. The
amount of energy consumed in the steam treatment period of approx.
2 seconds, which is normally used in practice, is comparatively
small and, simultaneously, also the filling member is re-sterilized
prior to each bottling operation. However, this course of action
does not always suffice to destroy specific beverage pests, in
particular the spores of moulds, with the desired high destruction
rate. Although this could be remedied by an extension of the steam
treatment period, such an extension of time would result in an
expensive increase in the size of the filling machine as well as in
intense heating of the filling members and of the glass bottles,
and this may impair the taste of the beverage and increase the
bottle fracture rate. In all other respects, this method is well
suited for modern high-efficiency plants.
Finally, it has also been suggested that, as an alternative to the
above-described sterilization within the filling machine, the
sterilization should be carried out in a rinser which is
interconnected with the filling machine in the case of beverages
which are particularly sensitive to heat, and that the bottles
should be protected by a steam passage against reinfection on their
short path between the rinser and the filling machine ("KRONES
Magazin" May 1992 and October 1992). Also this method is well
suited for modern high-efficiency plants, but, in view of the
limited period of treatment in the rinser in which the bottles are
transported in a single row and at a high speed, it cannot destroy
extremely resistant germs with the desired destruction rate of e.g.
nine powers of ten.
It is the object of the present invention to permit, in the case of
a method of the type mentioned at the beginning, a sufficiently
high destruction rate of beverage pests with the aid of simple
means, even if said beverage pests are extremely resitant to heat,
as well as a trouble-free operation with high efficiency. In
addition, an apparatus for carrying out this method is to be
provided.
As far as the method is concerned, this object is achieved by the
features disclosed in the characterizing clause of claim 1.
It follows that, when the method according to the present invention
is used, the sterilization of the bottle interior does not take
place in one station in a concentrated manner, but, contrary to the
hitherto prevailing trend, it takes place in several phases and
stations, respectively, which are displaced in space and shifted in
time. Due to the increase in temperature in the subsequent phase,
which is based on the heating effected in the preceding phase, a
synergistic effect is obtained by means of which the destruction
effect is increased enormously. Hence, even the particularly
heat-resistant spores of the dreaded moulds Byssochlamys fulva,
Byssochlamys nivea and Neosartorya fischeri can be destroyed with
very high destruction rates using an economical amount of energy.
In addition, it is not necessary to take any measures against
reinfection between the individual phases and stations of the
sterilization of the interior of the bottles, since the small
number of germs picked up during transport will be destroyed in the
subsequent sterilization phase. It follows that the method
according to the present invention is ideally suited to sterile
bottling of beverages in modern high-efficiency plants comprising
several separate machines and intermediate transport means.
Advantageous further developments of the method according to the
present invention are disclosed in claims 2 to 12. A further
development which is specially emphasized is the sterilization of
the interior of the bottles by means of superheated water according
to claim 5 in a room under a pressure above atmospheric pressure
according to claim 10. This method permits a purposeful high supply
of heat down to the base of the bottle within a short period of
treatment even by means of nozzles located outside of the bottles
and, consequently, it is particularly suitable for use in the
cleaning station and adapted to be carried out by normal spray
nozzles. In addition, it is definitely not necessary to heat the
whole bottle wall during each sterilization of the bottle interior.
On the contrary, it will suffice to carry out, according to claim
6, a socalled skin sterilization in the interior. This will keep
the energy consumption low and, in cases in which glass bottles are
treated, the bottle fracture rate surprisingly low without any
deterioration of the destruction effect.
As far as the apparatus is concerned, the task underlying the
present invention is solved by the features of claim 13.
An apparatus according to the present invention has a similarly
simple and clear structural design as an apparatus without
sterilization. It is easily accessible, especially in the area of
the bottle conveyors, so that malfunctions can be eliminated at any
time, whereby a high efficiency can be maintained. In spite of
these features, a very high destruction rate is obtained by the
repeated sterilizations of the interior of the bottles.
Advantageous further developments of the apparatus according to the
present invention are disclosed in claims 14 to 29. As can be seen
from claims 26 and 27, a conventional electronic empty-bottle
inspection machine can easily be integrated in the apparatus, if
the bottles in question are returnable bottles wich are to be
examined so as to find out whether they are clean and whether any
damage has been caused to them. It will only be necessary to take
care that excessive reinfection is avoided by keeping the centering
bells, which are applied to the bottle orifices, sterile. By means
of the lubrication of the conveyor belts with a heated lubricant,
which is disclosed in claim 29, the particularly endangered base of
the bottle can be heated.
In the following, an embodiment of the present invention will be
described on the basis of the drawings, in which
FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of a plant for sterile bottling
of fruit juice in returnable glass bottles with a short description
of the sequence of method steps,
FIG. 2 shows the vertical partial section through the cleaning
machine of the plant according to FIG. 1 in the area of the means
for sterilizing the bottle interior,
FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of the four treatment
phases in the rinser of the plant according to FIG. 1,
FIG. 4 shows the vertical section through a filling member of the
filling machine of the plant according to FIG. 1 during
sterilization of the interior.
The plant according to FIGS. 1 to 4 is designed for sterile
bottling of fruit juice in returnable bottles 24 made of glass. It
comprises a cleaning machine 1, a rinser 4, a filling machine 2 and
a closing machine 3.
As can be seen from FIG. 2, the cleaning machine 1 is a double-end
type cleaning machine including, subsequent to the last lye/liquor
bath 21 and a hot water spray means 22, a pressure chamber 18 in
the form of a box which is open at the bottom. The pressure chamber
18 is immersed into a tank 25 filled with hot water and the
interior of said pressure chamber 18 has applied thereto an
overpressure of 0.1 bar, e.g. by means of a compressor 26, which,
controlled by a control means which is not shown, presses sterile
air into said pressure chamber 18. This has the effect that, in the
interior of the pressure chamber 18, a water level is obtained
which is one metre lower than the water level in the tank 25. The
two lateral walls of the pressure chamber 18, which extend in the
direction of movement, define together with the tank 25 a
siphon-type inlet gate 19 and a siphontype outlet gate 20. After
having passed the hot water spray means 22, the bottles 24 are
transported, by means of the bottle cells 28 suspended from
endless, continuously driven chains 27, downwards into the tank 25,
horizontally through the inlet gate 19, upwards into the interior
of the pressure chamber 18 beyond the water level, a short distance
horizontally, then again downwards into the water bath, in the
horizontal direction through the outlet gate 20, and finally
upwards out of the tank 25 and to a final hot water spray means 23.
Subsequently, the bottles 24 travel to the discharge means 29 where
they are guided out of the bottle cells 28 and put down on a bottle
conveyor 5.
Three parallel spray tubes 8, which are provided with a number of
nozzle openings corresponding to the number of bottles 24 per
bottle cell 28, are provided in the interior of the pressure
chamber 18 below the horizontal path of movement of the bottles 24
and above the water level and are oriented transversely to the
direction of circulation. The spray tubes 8 are rotatably supported
and are rotated by means, which are not shown, synchronously with
the movement of the bottles 24 so that the water jets ejected from
the nozzles first enter the bottle at an oblique angle, whereupon
they are directed perpendicularly upwards and hit the bottom, and,
finally, they are directed at an oblique angle downwards acting on
the bottle along the bottle wall. The three spray tubes 8 are
connected via a line 11 to a generator 16 for superheated water of
105.degree. Celsius including a high-pressure pump. In view of the
overpressure prevailing in the pressure chamber 18, the superheated
water is sprayed by the spray tubes 8 into the bottles 24 without
excessive steam formation, and there it hits mainly the bottom of
said bottles 24. This has effect that a high amount of heat is
introduced in the bottle over a short path and within an extremely
short period of time so that a temperature which is much higher
than 100.degree. Celsius will be obtained in the whole interior of
the bottles 24. The water running out of the bottles 24 is
collected in a basin 44 and returned to the generator 16 for
superheated water. Part of the superheated water is converted into
steam during the spraying process and condenses within the pressure
chamber 18, whereby the amount of water in the tank 25 will be
increased. This increase is compensated for by an overflow means,
which is not shown. Accordingly, the basin 44 is also additionally
connected to a fresh water supply line 30 through which the
condensed water is automatically replaced.
In the pressure chamber 18 of the cleaning machine 1, the bottles
24 are, consequently, subjected to a first sterilization of the
bottle interior by spraying in superheated water, and, together
with the preceding cleaning by means of hot lye, this sterilization
will achieve a virtually complete destruction of all germs in the
interior of the bottles 24. In the area of the outlet gate 20 and,
if provided, in the area of the subsequent hot water spray means
23, the bottles 24 are then slightly cooled down so that they will
leave the cleaning machine 1 at a temperature of approx. 80 to
90.degree. Celsius. Cooling down to a lower temperature is possible
as well. This can already be initiated by the water spray means 22
in front of the pressure chamber 18, since, as has already been
stated, the bottle wall is heated only partly by the spray tubes 8.
The outer wall can, consequently, easily have a temperature which
is much lower than 100.degree. Celsius.
The bottle conveyor 5, to which the bottles 24 are transferred from
the cleaning machine 1, is defined, as is normally the case, by a
plurality of motor-driven hinge band chains transporting the
bottles 24 in several rows and at an upright position. At the end
of the bottle conveyor 5, a uniting means is provided with the aid
of which the bottles 24 are united so as to form a single row and
simultaneously accelerated. In the whole area of the bottle
conveyor 5, including its uniting means, neither any cover nor any
shield is provided for the bottles 24 so that, in the case of
malfunction caused by bottles 24 which have fallen over or become
stuck etc., the operator can intervene rapidly and unhindered. The
bottles 24 on the bottle conveyor 5 cool down gradually and, during
normal operation, they have a temperature of approx. 60.degree.
Celsius in the area in which they are united. By heating the
normally used chain lubricant prior to spraying it onto the hinge
band chains, a slightly higher temperature can be maintained in the
bottom area.
The bottle conveyor 5, which, being a continuous conveyor, has also
a certain buffer function, is followed by a rinser 4 of the
circulation type. This rinser 4 comprises a feed worm, a feed star,
a rotor provided with pivotable and controllable grippers 31 for
the bottles 24, and a discharge star. The bottles 24, which are fed
at an upright normal position (FIG. 3a), are pivoted by 180.degree.
by means of said grippers 31 so that their orifice faces dowards.
At this position, nozzles, which are formed by perpendicular
rinsing tubes 9 open at the top, are introduced into the necks of
said bottles 24. The rinsing tubes 9 rotate together with the rotor
and are connected to a ring main 13 via individually controllable
control valves 14. Said ring main 12 contains saturated steam,
which has a temperature of approx. 105.degree. Celsius and which is
blown into the bottle interior for a period of e.g. 6 seconds by
time-controlled opening of the control valve 14 (FIG. 3b). The
steam can escape into the open air through the annular gap between
the rinsing tube 9 and the orifice of the bottle.
Each rinsing tube 9 is additionally connected via a further control
valve 32 to a further ring main 33, which contains sterile air.
After the steam treatment, this sterile air is blown into the
interior of the bottle for a period of e.g. 3 seconds by
time-controlled opening of the control valve 32 Description (FIG.
3c). This has the effect that the condensate produced during the
steam treatment is removed by rinsing and that the interior of the
bottle 24 is dried. Subsequently, the bottles 24 are pivoted back
to their normal position by means of the grippers 31, and, when
they occupy said normal position, they are discharged from the
rinser 4 (FIG. 3d).
It follows that, in said rinser 4, the bottles 24 are subjected to
a second sterilization of the bottle interior by blowing in
saturated steam. In the course of this second sterilization, the
inner wall of the bottles 24, which come in with a temperature of
approx. 60.degree. Celsius, is heated to a sterilization
temperature of more than 100.degree. Celsius in all areas. Hence,
the germs, which penetrated into a bottle 24 through the open
orifice thereof in the course of the transport of said bottle on
the bottle conveyor 5, will be destroyed again to a very large
extent.
From the rinser 4, the bottles 24 are transported by means of a
short, single-path screw conveyor 6 to the filling machine 2.
Instead of this screw conveyor 6, it is also possible to provide a
direct interconnection by providing an arrangement in which the
discharge star of the rinser 4 is in mesh with the feed star of the
filling machine 2 directly or via an intermediate transfer star. In
any case, malfunction need not be expected in this area in view of
the forced-type transport of the bottles 24. Hence, a tunnel 34
with a steam supply line 35 can be arranged in the area of the
orifices of the bottles 24, said tunnel 34 preventing an ingress of
germs into the bottle openings to a very large extent (FIG.
3d).
The filling machine 2 provided with a feed star, a rotor and a
discharge star corresponds to the filling machine according to
German-Offenlegungsschrift 40 36 290 with regard to its structural
design. Hence, it includes a plurality of filling members 17 of the
same kind, which are arranged on the circumference of the rotor, as
well as lifting members 36, which are associated with said filling
members 17 and which circulate together therewith. The empty
bottles 24 coming from the rinser 4 are first lifted by the lifting
members 36 part of the distance towards the filling members 17. In
the course of this process, a reflux gas tube 10 penetrates into
the bottle neck. This reflux gas tube is connected via passages in
the filling member 17 to a line 13 by time-controlled opening of a
control valve 15, said line 13 containing saturated steam having a
temperature of e.g. 105.degree. Celsius. It follows that this
saturated steam flows for a predetermined period of time of e.g. 2
seconds through the reflux gas tube 10, or rather through the
nozzle defined by the opening of said reflux gas tube 10, centrally
into the bottle 24 and down to the bottom, whereupon it escapes
through the annular gap between the reflux gas tube 10 and the
orifice of the bottle into a reflux gas channel 37 (FIG. 4). In the
course of this process, the whole interior of the bottle 24, which,
coming from the rinser 4, already has a very high temperature
level, is heated to a temperature which is much higher than
100.degree. Celsius.
It follows that, in the filling machine 2, each bottle 24 is
subjected to a third and last sterilization of its interior by
blowing in saturated steam. During this last sterilization also the
germs and beverage pests which "survived" the first sterilization
of the bottle interior in the cleaning machine 1 and the second
sterilization of the bottle interior in the rinser 4 will be
destroyed with a high degree of certainty. On the whole, the
destruction rate which can be achieved by the "fractional
sterilization" according to the present invention is much higher
than that achieved on the basis of the same sterilzation time and
the same amount of energy in only one station.
When the control valve 15 has been closed, the pressurizing gas
valve 38 of the filling member 17 will be opened, whereupon
CO.sub.2 will be introduced from a channel 39 via the reflux gas
tube 10 into the bottle 24. This will have the effect that most of
the sterilization steam as well as most of the condensate formed
are discharged into the open air. Following this, the lifting
member 36 is lifted still further, whereby the bottle 24 will be
pressed against the filling member 17 completely and tightly so
that it will be filled with CO.sub.2 until the adjusted
counterpressure of e.g. 3 bar has been reached, the pressurizing
gas valve 38 being still open. Instead of CO.sub.2, it is, of
course, also possible to use sterile air as a pessurizing gas and
as a flush gas. When the pressurizing process has been finished,
the pressurizing gas valve 38 will be closed and, subsequently, the
reflux gas valve 40 and the liquid valve 41 will be opened
simultaneously. The fruit juice to be bottled, which has previously
been sterilized e.g. by sterile filtration, can now flow into the
bottle 24 through the product line 42 and the discharge opening of
the filling member 17. When the predetermined filling level,
measured by an electric probe 43, has been reached, the liquid
valve 41 will be closed, whereby the filling operation will be
finished.
Following this, the lifting member 36 is lowered together with the
filled bottle 24. At the discharge end of the filling machine 2,
the bottles 24 are taken over by transport stars 7 on a normal
transport level and transferred to the closing machine 3. An
ingress of germs can again be avoided by blowing in steam by means
of a tunnel according to FIG. 3d. In the closing machine 3, the
bottles 24 are then closed by crown corks or the like, which have
previously been sterilized by means of steam.
If returnable bottles are filled, a conventional electronic
inspection machine 45 for empty bottles can easily be integrated in
the plant according to FIG. 1 to 4, preferably between the bottle
conveyor 5 and the rinser 4. In this connection, it will be
advantageous to make the centering bells of the empty-bottle
inspection machine sterilizable, said centering bells being applied
in the area of the orifices of the bottles. Such sterilization can
be effected e.g. by an integrated heating maintaining the centering
bells constantly at a temperature of more than 100.degree. Celsius.
It is also possible to carry out chemical sterilization or heat
sterilization by singeing or irradiation at certain intervals.
The treatment of the bottles, jars or similar vessels in the
cleaning machine 1 can also be carried out by means acid instead of
lye, or in addition to the lye.
* * * * *